UNMC’s fourth-year medical students (Class of 2019) have honored two faculty members with Golden Apple Awards:
- Allison Ashford, M.D., internal medicine-pediatrics, was recognized for her clinical teaching;
- Alan Richards, M.D., associate professor, genetics, cell biology and anatomy was recognized for his basic science teaching.
The Class of 2019 cited Drs. Ashford and Richards as "just two of the many great teachers we have gotten to work with over the past four years." Both physicians were honored for their "extraordinary dedication to teaching and caring about our development as people in addition to our academic success."
A 2008 graduate of the UNMC College of Medicine, Dr. Ashford also did her residency training at UNMC. She served as chief resident for internal medicine from 2012-2013. She is board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics.
Dr. Ashford joined the UNMC faculty in 2012. In 2018, she was named program director of medicine-pediatrics residency program.
Dr. Ashford spends her clinical time as a full-time hospitalist, splitting her time as an internal medicine hospitalist at UNMC and also as a pediatric hospitalist at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.
She previously worked with residents at Nebraska Medicine’s Fontenelle Clinic for medicine-pediatrics. She dedicates time to teaching students and residents in both disciplines in didactics and procedural skills. She is an active member in the Internal Medicine Clinical Competency Committee and also serves as a member to a new innovative teaching curriculum for pediatric residents and students at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.
One nominator said, "Dr. Ashford is an outstanding and dedicated clinical educator in both internal medicine and pediatrics. She always takes the time to get to know her students and push them to the next level on the wards."
A native of South Africa, Dr. Richards earned his medical degree from the University of Witwatersrand (UW) in 1966 and did his residency training in general surgery as well as head and neck cancer surgery.
He was a faculty member in the UW Department of Surgery and had a private practice for the next 22 years. During this time, he was involved with teaching residents and students.
In 1997, Dr. Richards was recruited as a faculty member by the Creighton University Department of Surgery and as program director for the training of surgery residents. Three years later, he joined the UNMC Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery and remained in that position until his retirement in 2014.
Following his retirement, Dr. Richards joined the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy and taught anatomy to medical, physician assistant and physical therapy students.
Over the years, Dr. Richards has won several teaching awards, including two Golden Apples from Creighton and a Best Teacher Award from the surgical residents at Creighton. His UNMC awards include the Distinguished Teacher Award from the UNMC Student Senate and the Valor in Education Service Award.
One nominator said, "Dr. Richards was a large part of our transition to medical school as he taught portions of our anatomy course, which was the first course our class had in medical school. We deeply appreciate the time that he has dedicated as volunteer faculty to our class."